Freight-car.



PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

H. S. HART.

FREIGHT GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1903.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED MAY 10 1904.

H. S. HART.

PREIGHTUAR.

APPLICATION-TILED JULY 25, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY STILLSON HART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL COAL DUMP CAR COMPANY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 759,275, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed July 25, 1903. Serial No. 166,927. (No model.)

T all whom, it TIT/(Ly concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY STILLsoN HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of freightcars known as dump-cars, and particularly 1 0 to the construction and arrangement by which such cars can be converted from one type of dump-car to another or to a non-dumping car, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear. The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efiicient freight-car.

The invention consists in a convertible dump-ear in which there are combined a supporting framework provided with down- 2 wardly and outwardly extending side discharging-aprons, side boards pivotally secured to the framework of the car at or near their upper lateral edges, and swinging sections extending lengthwise of the car and adapted to be arranged in one position to form the flat bottom of a gondola car and in a second position to form, in connection with the side discharging-aprous, the upper inclined portions of an A-shaped discharging-bottom.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of one type of car as it appears when constructed in accordance with these improvements, showing the parts arranged to form an A-shaped side dumpingcar; and Fig. 2, asimilar View showing the car as it appears when the parts are arranged to 4 form a fiat-bottom gondola car.

In illustrating and describing these improvements I have only illustrated and will here describe that which I consider to be new, taken in connection with so much as is old as will properly disclose the invention to others and enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, leaving out of consideration other and well-known elements which if set forth herein would only tend to confusion, prolixity, and ambiguity.

In constructing a car in accordance with these improvements I provide a supportingframework in which but a single pair of lon gitudinal metal sills c a is used. As shown in the drawings, these sills are made of commercial iron and are about the depth of ordinary longitudinal sillsthat is, they are substantially about twice the depth of the ordinary sills from their upper or floor level to their lower level-and are relatively widely spaced substantially over the wheel-line of the. car, so as to leave the center portion free of intermediate and center sills and the space outside the same free and clear from all of the usual side sills. Differently stated, these longitudinal sills dispense with the ordinary center and intermediate sills and the ordinary side sills, though, aswill be hereinafter seen, they form, in connection with other mechanisms, substantial side girder mechanisms that take the place of the usual side sills. These longitudinal sills are connected together, braced, and spaced by means of metallic braces 66, which connect them together at or near their upper and lower edges. To assist these sills in formf ing side girders and to dispense with the usual side sills, side discbarging-aprons (:0 are provided, connected with the upper surface of the longitudinal sills and inclined downwardly and outwardly therefrom. These side discharging-aprons are also preferably made of commercial iron spaced and held in position so as to form parts of girder mechanisms by means of the metal struts (Z and gusset-plates e and f. It will therefore be seen that by this structure I have provided means for dispensing with the usual center, intermediate, and side sills.

To form or assist in forming the superstructure of the car, a plurality of side posts 9 is provided, each of which is formed of commercial iron, preferably commercial angle-irons,

and connected with the lower outer edges of the side discharging-aprons. These side posts are also spaced, braced, and held in position by means of a plurality of struts h and gusset-plates '5 and j and are connected at or near their upper edgesby channel-beams k, which extend longitudinally and substantially from end to end of the car and are riveted to the upper ends of the side posts, all acting to form an efiicient and effective supporting-frame for a railway freight-car of any desired type platform, gondola, or automatic dumping-car.

To form a dump-car, swinging sidedoorsl are provided and pivoted at their upper lateral edges to the side framework of the car, as shown, and are adapted to be closed and held in locked position by means of anglebars m, which in turn are held in swinging position by means of a plurality of pivotal fingers n, which are operated by means of chains p and rock-shafts q.

To form aconvertible dump-car, a floor portion is provided formed of two movable sections r 1*, arranged to be laid in a flat plane, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form the floor of either a platform or gondola car when in one position or to be moved to a second position, as shown in Fig. 1, where, in connection with the side discharging-aprons, they form the upper inclined portions of an A-shaped dumping-bottom. When in this latter position, they are fulcrumed in a plurality of pivoted fulcruming-blocks t and held against displacement byinverted-V-shaped cleats 14, arranged on the inner surfaces of removable end boards w. A channel or U-shaped piece w is provided and laid on the upper brace-rods I), so as to receive projections g on the inner edges of the movable sections r and hold the same in their flat position and against lateral displacement.

I claim 1. In a car of the class described, the combination of a lower supporting-framework provided with downwardly and outwardly extending side discharging-aprons, upright side posts, struts extending from the lower supporting-framework and connected with such upright side posts, side boards pivotally secured to the framework of the car at or near their upper lateral edges, and movable sections extending lengthwise of the car and adapted to be arranged in one position to form the flat bottom of a gondola car and in a secupwardly from the under supporting-frame, struts extending from the longitudinal sills outward transversely of the car to the side frames and connected therewith, swinging side boards pivoted at their upper edges to the side frame of the car to form side discharging-doors, a floor portion formed of two movable sections arranged to be laid in a flat plane to form the flat floor of a gondola car when in one position and adapted to be inclined upwardly and inwardly into a second position to form in connection with the side discharging aprons an A shaped side discharging-bottom, and end boards provided with inwardlyextending inverted-V-shaped cleats on their inner faces to contact the ends of and assist in holding the movable sections in position, substantially as described.

3. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting-framework formed of a single pair of longitudinal sills relatively widely spaced and braced together, inclined side discharging aprons extending downwardly and outwardly from the upper part of such sills, vertical side posts extending upwardly from the lower edge of such aprons, and brace rods or struts connecting such parts together so as to form a cantaliver structure, substantially as described.

4. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting-framework formed of a single pair of deep longitudinal metal sills relatively widely spaced and connected together with a plurality of transverse bracerods at or near their upper and lower portions, downwardly and outwardly inclined side discharging-aprons connected with the upper and lower portions of such longitudinal sills, gusset-plates and strut mechanisms connecting such longitudinal sills and side dischargingaprons together, a plurality of vertical side posts connected with such discharging-aprons and extending upwardly from the bottom portions thereof, and a plurality of struts and gusset-plates connecting such side discharging-aprons with the vertical side posts, substantially as described.

5. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting-framework formed of a single pair of deep longitudinal metal sills relatively widely spaced and connected together with a plurality of transverse bracerods at or near their upper and lower portions, downwardly and outwardly inclined side discharging-aprons connected with the upper and lower portions of such longitudinal sills, gusset-plates and strut mechanisms connecting such longitudinal sills and side dischargingaprons together, a plurality of vertical side posts connected with such discharging-aprons and extending upwardly from the bottom portions thereof, a plurality of struts and gussetplates connecting such side discharging-aprons with the vertical side posts, swinging side boards pivotally secured at their upper edges tion with the side discharging-aprons an A- to the side frame of the car, means for holdshaped side discharging-bottom, substantially TO ing such side boards in their closed (3' looked as described. position, ant a floor portion forrne of two l 1 r\ 5 movable sections arranged to be laid in a flat HARRY bTILLSON KARL plane so as to form the bottom of a gondola Witnesses: car when in one position and to be inclined up- THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, Wardly and inwardlyso as to form in eonnec- HARRY IRWIN (JRoMER. 

